Smithsonian.com

Events for the Week of December 21-25: Holiday Happenings, Gift Shop Sales, Chat With a Scientist

SNOW DAY! All DC-metropolitan Smithsonian museums, along with the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, are open today. The National Zoo, however, remains closed due to the heavy snowfall over the weekend.Monday, December 21: IMAX!!Spend your snow day away from work or school exploring the museums or enj...

By
Jesse Rhodes

smithsonian.com
December 21, 2009

SNOW DAY! All DC-metropolitan Smithsonian museums, along with the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, are open today. The National Zoo, however, remains closed due to the heavy snowfall over the weekend.

Monday, December 21: IMAX!!

Spend your snow day away from work or school exploring the museums or enjoying a movie at one of the Smithsonian's three IMAX theaters.

Tuesday, December 22: ZooLights

*Check tomorrow to see if the National Zoo has reopened and that this event is still scheduled.

For children of all ages, come on out to the National Zoo for a nighttime safari, keeping your eyes peeled for a menagerie of LED light sculptures modeled after critters at the zoo. Tickets are required for visitors aged 2 and older and can be purchased at any National Zoo store, at the door (unless that day’s worth of tickets are sold out), or through Ticketmaster. Unless the Zoo closes due to inclement weather, this event runs every night from December 18 through January 2, except December 24, 25 and 31. Tickets are $8 general admission; FONZ $5.
National Zoo, 6-8:30 PM.

Wednesday, December 23: The Scientist is In

Drown your
Thalassophobia and come on over to the Sant Ocean Hall to chat with an expert. The scientist is in to show off some special artifacts and talk to visitors about the wet and dry of oceanography. Free. Repeats every Wednesday.
National Museum of Natural History, 12 Noon-4 PM.

Thursday, December 24: Attic Sale

Need some gift ideas at the last screaming minute? Try your luck at the Freer, which is offering its Asia-themed gift shop goodies—from CDs to scarves—at reduced prices.
Freer, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM.

Friday, December 25: Smithsonian is closed for Christmas

Sorry kids, this is the one day of the year when the Smithsonian is closed to visitors. So chill out and enjoy the day with the people who matter most to you. There will be plenty of museum fun to be had tomorrow!

Tags

We Recommend

Have you ever wondered how a simple shot can keep you from dying a horrible death? In this one-minute video, Ask Smithsonian’s host, Eric Schulze, unravels how vaccines boot-camp our bodies into shape, getting us ready to fight off deadly diseases

A Selection of Books and Courses Featuring New Exhibitions and Smithsonian Research

The Smithsonian Institution has entered affiliate agreements with the companies listed in our holiday shop, and earns a fee for every purchase made from following any link from these gift guide pages and making a purchase on the affiliate site. This fee helps fund Smithsonian’s activities.

The Smithsonian is a repository of America's history, achievements, aspirations, and identity. It holds the artifacts of great leaders, and those of ordinary Americans. It houses scientific specimens and technological wonders. It is home to art, music, films, writings-a vast treasure trove of objects of extraordinary beauty and outstanding design.

Kennewick Man: The Scientific Investigation of an Ancient American Skeleton (Peopling of the Americas Publications) [Douglas W. Owsley, Richard L. Jantz] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Almost from the day of its accidental discovery along the banks of the Columbia River in Washington State in July 1996